Subsea Well News

Corvus Energy has been selected by HAF Power Solutions (HPS) to supply Energy Storage Systems (ESS) for the Energy Subsea Construction Vessel (ESCV) to be built for shipowner REM Offshore.The new ESCV is of ST-245 design and will be the first vessel to perform heavy construction work in both offshore wind and the subsea market with net zero emissions. The vessel will be equipped with dual-fuel methanol engines and a 1.7MW battery system. The batteries will be used for spinning…

Norwegian offshore vessel operator DOF Group has secured two contracts with Brazil’s state-run oil and gas company Petrobras, worth over $192 million.Petrobras has awarded new long-term charter and service contracts to Norskan Offshore. and DOF Subsea Servicos Brasil, after a competitive tender process.The vessel Skandi Amazonas, which was on the spot market, is chartered for three years firm with two years mutually agreed option via Petrobras tender issued late in 2023, to operate…

The end may be in sight, but the race for bigger cranes is still having an impact on offshore wind project efficiency.The industry has already felt the need for upgrading crane lifting capacity on existing offshore wind installation vessels: NOV is upgrading the cranes on Cadeler’s existing O-class wind turbine installation vessels (WTIVs), and a gantry crane extension will soon make Van Oord’s Svanen one of the largest floating heavy-lift installation vessels.It’s a newbuild phenomenon too. NOV has developed a telescoping leg encircling crane for Shimizu’s GustoMSC-designed WTIV Blue Wind.

UK-based Exail has secured a contract with French maritime services provider Bourbon to supply several units of its Octans Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) for integration into Bourbon Subsea Services’s fleet.These units will be installed on multiple Bourbon Evolution 800 Series multi-purpose support vessels (MPSVs) dedicated to subsea operations at depths down to 3,000 meters.IMO-HSC certified, the Octans AHRS will enhance Bourbon vessels’ efficiency in installation…

Danish shipowner CBED has signed a contract with Siemens Gamesa for the first offshore wind project for its new SOV Wind Creation as part of the CBED fleet.With the new walk-to-work project, the SOV joins commissioning an offshore wind farm in the Netherlands.The project starts at the end of the second quarter of 2024 and runs for the remainder of the year, thereby securing full activity for Wind Creation until the first quarter of 2025.CBED now has all three vessels in the fleet…

Since our last market update in the subsea space about a year ago both our current market view and forecasts have strengthened significantly.While the demand picture is looking solid and arguing for a strong multi-year upcycle, the supply side has also started to wake from its slumber albeit ever so slightly at the time of writing. Moreover, we register an interesting dynamic on the shipowner side, where everyone is trying to position themselves for the impeding market boom.Please note that vessel definitions and abbreviations in this part of our industry can vary…

The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) has appointed and approved the 2024-2025 term of the NOIA Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Jon Landes, President, Subsea of TechnipFMC has been elected as the NOIA Chair and Joe Leimkuhler, Chief Operating Officer of Beacon Offshore Energy, as the incoming NOIA Vice Chair.NOIA President Erik Milito said, “We are at a critical juncture where it's imperative to ensure that energy policy from Washington, D.C. does not hinder American energy production.

MHWirth, a subsidiary of Norwegian oil services investment firm Akastor, has received an arbitration award issued by a tribunal in a dispute with Seatrium’s subsidiary Jurong Shipyard over the termination of four drilling rig unit contracts.As part of the ruling, MHW has been awarded an amount of $101 million as payment of termination fees.In addition, MHW has been made eligible for the reimbursement of legal costs and certain suspension costs (totaling about $7 million), as well as interest.Although the drilling rig unit contracts are held by MHW…

For 15 years the Maritime Risk Symposium (MRS), an annual three-day event, has brought together government and maritime industry leaders, port representatives, international and domestic researchers and solution providers to examine current and emerging threats to maritime security. World events highlight that maritime security is increasingly at risk during the current period of great-power competition and ongoing conflicts. The active competition between nations who are not…

Kristian Siem, founder and longtime leader of Siem Offshore, is stepping down as chairman of the Norwegian offshore support vessel (OSV) firm after reaching a deal to acquire nine vessels in exchange for his 35% stake in the company.The company announced it has reached an "amicable agreement" to sell Siem Barracuda, Siem Stingray, Siem Opal, Siem Pearl, Siem Topaz, Siem Pilot, Siem Pride, Siem Symphony and Siem Thiima to Kristian Siem's Siem Sustainable Energy S.a r.l and related companies in exchange for 35% of the company’s shares.The other major shareholder is Christen Sveaas' Kistefos…

The Unified Command completed a line integrity test on the Main Pass Oil Gathering (MPOG) company's pipeline system near Plaquemines Parish, southeast of New Orleans, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday."Following a successful line integrity test of the MPOG line, the Unified Command has stood down its work to respond to the oil release observed on November 16," they added.A line integrity test confirms that all points are leak-free.In Nov 2023 an oil spill was reported near the…

Lockport, La. based Bordelon Marine announced it has renewed the charter agreement with Oceaneering International for the Brandon Bordelon; 260-foot-long DP2 Jones Act compliant ultra-light intervention vessel for an additional two-year firm term plus one-year additional option. The charter agreement renewal commenced in March 2024.The 2015-built vessel is mobilized with two Oceaneering Millennium Plus work class remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and Oceaneering survey equipment and technology.

Maritime Developments (MDL) has assisted Saipem in progressing an LNG project offshore Greece, which included work on the connection of Gastrade’s Alexandroupolis floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) to the country’s gas transmission system.The project consisted of a FSRU and a mooring and pipeline system, connecting the floating unit to the Greek National Natural Gas Transmission System (NNGTS).An MDL flex-lay spread was used for the installation of two flexible risers…

Between January 2023 and February 2024, TDI-Brooks conducted an extensive site investigation program in two offshore wind blocks in state and federal waters. The projects involved surveying in excess of 20,000 line-kms of analogue and either single or multi-channel seismic in lease blocks and cable routes along the coasts of New York and New Jersey. Various tasks were carried out at different stages, such as offshore geophysical surveys, UHRS detailed surveys, archaeological identification surveys…

Ocean Infinity signed a global framework agreement (GFA) with Shell to provide its robotic fleet for servicing the offshore energy sector.The GFA marks a significant milestone in the provision of lean-crewed and robotic seabed geomatics, spanning geophysical and geotechnical services, within the offshore energy sector.It covers a 5-year period, encompassing all countries where Shell is currently active or plans to operate in the future.Services governed by the GFA include the Armada fleet of uncrewed and lean-crewed vessels."This agreement enables new…

Norway-based offshore vessel owner Rem Offshore and shipbuilder Myklebust Verft have signed a contract for the construction of an Energy Subsea Construction Vessel (ESCV) with a 250-tonne crane.The vessel will be delivered in 2026 and will be the first of its kind that can perform heavy construction work in both offshore wind and subsea with net zero emissions, according to Rem Offshore.The contract also contains an option to build one more vessel, the company confirmed.The vessel will be equipped with dual-fuel methanol engines in combination with battery packs.

Briston. R.I. based naval architecture and marine engineering frim Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. (BHGI) announced it has hired Kyle Pagan as a naval architect.Pagan holds a Master’s degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of New Orleans and a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University. For his graduate research, he conducted an in-depth study of the performance of 3D printing materials under the influence of water exposure…

Norwegian shipbuilder and ship designer Ulstein has developed a new subsea vessel - ULSTEIN SX232 – designed to service the offshore wind market for floating and fixed installations as well as offshore oil and gas industry.Designed for walk-to-work operations in the offshore energy market, the ULSTEIN SX232 features an optimizes hull based on the ULSTEIN TWIN X-STERN design.The vessel is equipped with smart power and propulsion system developed to minimize energy consumption during DP operations and an integrated energy recovery system utilizing all the waste heat in the machinery systems…

Dutch marine services firm Boskalis has completed its activities in support of the development of Ocean Winds’ 882 MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland.As part of its multidisciplinary role in the project, Boskalis deployed six vessels to carry out large number of activities off the east coast of Scotland in the Moray Firth.First, Boskalis’ wholly-owned subsidiary Gardline carried out extensive geotechnical and geophysical survey works prior to the installation work.Then…

Spain-based Gondan Shipbuilders has started the construction of an advanced remotely operated unmanned surface vehicle (USV) for a company made up of DeepOcean, Solstad and Østensjø Rederi alliance called USV A/S.The project focuses on improving subsea operations, targeting a reduction of CO2 emissions by more than 90% compared to conventional methods.The new USV will be used for underwater maintenance and inspection missions.Designed by Salt Ship Design, the vessel will feature a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system…

Saipem and Fincantieri have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to evaluate commercial and industrial opportunities for cooperation in the field of autonomous subsea vehicles (AUV) and their integration with surface and underwater units.The MoU is among the initiatives aimed at promoting and developing Italy’s national excellence in the underwater sector.The agreement aims to enable the two companies to participate in major programs in the Italian and international markets in the area of surveillance and control of critical underwater infrastructure and rescue activities…

The world’s first dedicated innovation centre for floating offshore wind has opened in Scotland.Located in the heart of Aberdeen’s Energy Transition Zone, ORE Catapult’s £9 million National Floating Wind Innovation Centre (FLOWIC), delivered in collaboration with ETZ Limited, is designed to help supercharge the development of floating offshore wind technology in the UK, with funding from both the Scottish Government and Innovate UK.Floating offshore wind represents a huge economic opportunity…

Norwegian company Reach Subsea has extended the charter for the Olympic Taurus subsea vessel and ordered two new Constructor-type remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) from Kystdesign.Back in February, Reach Subsea announced a 100-day project charter for the subsea vessel Olympic Taurus, with extension options for 2+1+1 years.The company has now extended the charter for an additional two years and retain options for another 1+1 years."With a solid backlog and substantial tender pipeline for the coming periods…